Toward That Summer Sky
by Brave orange blossom
Summary: Sawamura meets up with Narumiya after the Seidou and Ichidai Sankou semifinal game. While he isn't initially pleased to meet up with him, he realizes something after meeting up with him. Spoilers for Act II chapters 43-49. Established Relationship. This was supposed to be a one shot, but I might continue it if plot bunnies help me with the other chapters.


**Author Notes: **So while I will always love Miyusawa, I recently fell in love with Meisawa. My brain refused to stop thinking about plot bunnies for them.

So y'all get a story about them.

This is my first time writing Meisawa, and I'm a little nervous about how I wrote them. Hopefully they aren't too out of character.

This story's setting is during the spring tournament of Sawamura's second year. It starts after Seidou's game with Ichidai Sankou, and it finishes after Inashiro's game with Teitou.

Spoilers for Act II chapters 43-49. Established Relationship.

(This was meant to be 1000-2000 words. I failed.)

I hope y'all enjoy it!

**Toward That Summer Sky**

They lost.

Despite Sawamura performing well not only in pitching but also batting (much to the surprise of his teammates) …

Seidou lost.

As much as he tried to help his team, he couldn't do _anything_ to help them win.

Sure, his pitching was the reason why Ichidai Sankou stopped at five runs in the fifth inning, effectively putting a stop to Ichidai Sankou's momentum and not allowing even a _hit _in the later innings.

And he even managed to hit a double off Amahisa Kousei, Ichidai Sankou's ace.

While most people would feel satisfied with their performance, he didn't feel any satisfaction.

_At all_.

It would've been better if he managed to hit a home run.

Maybe that would've helped his team win.

And while he still felt irritated, frustrated, and disappointed about Furuya Satoru's performance; he knew most of those emotions were directed toward himself.

If he had been more reliable as a pitcher, that pitcher substitution would've come earlier.

So it was _his _fault they lost.

Not _Ace-sama's_.

_His_.

ZZZ

Sawamura thanked Kominato Haruichi for helping him with his cooldown in a quiet voice, already heading in the direction of the dugout to grab his bag and an ice pack for his shoulder, oblivious to his closest friend's concerned look.

It wasn't until after he put on the ice pack and buttoned his jersey that he registered that they had company.

He looked away from his bag, noticing Inashiro players already making their way through the door and setting their bags down.

Some of them noticed him, catching his eye and bowing their heads politely.

Judging by how polite they were, maybe they were Inashiro's reserve players?

They probably didn't even know who he was, only recognizing his Seidou uniform.

And while that thought made his blood boil, he knew he couldn't do anything about that now.

He bowed his head, exchanging the polite greeting.

Not in the mood to be scolded for lingering too long, he quickly picked up his bag and headed in the direction of the exit.

But if Inashiro was playing, then that meant…

He paused by the exit, eyes already looking around the dugout for a familiar blond.

His eyes widened as blue eyes immediately locked onto his from the field.

Narumiya Mei had a frown on his face, but upon noticing that he managed to lock eyes with him, jerked his head in the direction of the dugout door.

He did it quickly, making Sawamura blink.

He continued to watch as Narumiya held up two fingers, causing him to squint and wonder if his eyes were working properly.

Was that… a victory sign?

At first, he thought Narumiya was telling him to leave and that Inashiro would win, unable to stop the irritation at the blond's arrogance.

But it quickly died as Narumiya pointed to himself and jerked his head once more.

Was he… Was he telling him that he wanted him to wait for him?

_Oh_.

His heart couldn't help but race at the thought, mind already remembering the last time he saw him.

It _had_ been a while since they could meet.

Narumiya narrowed his eyes, making him belatedly realize he was probably taking too long to reply.

Sawamura flashed a small sheepish smile, nodding.

As soon as Narumiya had his reply, he smirked as he shooed him away with one hand, already turning back to his warmup without a second glance in his direction.

Sawamura huffed, tempted to yell at Inashiro's ace.

He wasn't a dog!

But as much as he felt tempted, he _really _wasn't in the mood to start yelling.

Which was odd behavior for _him_.

But he was allowed to feel upset about the loss, and anyone who thought differently clearly didn't know him that well (or had never lost before).

Grumbling about the ace's behavior, he promptly turned around and exited the dugout.

ZZZ

Sawamura tapped his foot, impatiently waiting for Narumiya.

He had decided to wait in the room behind the bench, not wanting the other pitcher to walk too far away from his team.

The longer he waited, the more irritated he felt, though.

Of course, he understood that the other pitcher was in the middle of his warmup.

And normally, he wouldn't mind waiting.

If it were under different circumstances.

His teammates were probably looking for him, and while he _really _wanted to see Narumiya, this wasn't the time or place to do it.

For a few moments, he entertained the idea of leaving.

The other pitcher didn't tell him to wait a specific amount of time. He just held up two fingers, somehow expecting him to understand.

What did that even mean?

Was he supposed to wait two minutes?

Two hours?

Or maybe he meant that he would meet him after the game was over?

But despite entertaining the idea of leaving, he stayed put.

He wasn't staying put because Narumiya told him to, though.

He was waiting for Narumiya because _he _wanted to.

There was a difference.

But still…

That didn't mean he was alright with waiting an unknown amount of time for him.

Especially when he wasn't in the mood to deal with his _boyfriend's _antics.

His boyfriend could be very childish at times. Other times, he was, to put it bluntly, a jerk.

But at the same time, it had been months since they had last seen each other.

And while he enjoyed texting him and hearing his voice over the phone, it wasn't the same.

He definitely preferred meeting in person rather than having to rely on his phone to speak to him.

But both were always busy with baseball practice and could never find time to meet up. He couldn't remember the last time he and his boyfriend had the same day off.

Which was why they had to make the most of small moments like these.

If he was honest, they were never enough.

He wanted to see his boyfriend more.

… Not that he would ever tell him that.

That would only boost his boyfriend's already huge ego.

Which was the last thing Sawamura wanted.

When a few more moments passed, his eye twitched, tempted to leave and try to catch up with his boyfriend later.

Who did his boyfriend think he was?

If he said that in his boyfriend's presence, his boyfriend would probably reply that he was the best southpaw of the Kanto region, winking cheekily at him for good measure.

… This was ridiculous.

_He _was ridiculous for waiting this long.

Just as he was about to start heading out, someone opened the door, making him blink at the light that entered the dark room.

A familiar blond stepped into the room, looking around for his boyfriend and frowning at how dark it was.

Upon spotting him, he let the door close behind him and walked over.

Sawamura watched as the other pitcher stopped a few feet away, unable to stop himself from narrowing his eyes.

And he probably would've scolded him for keeping him waiting if Narumiya didn't beat him to it.

"Are you alright?"

Out of everything he could've asked or even said, he chose to ask _that_?

Tempted to laugh humorlessly, he shook his head. "Do I _look _okay? We lost!"

He would've continued speaking if it wasn't for Narumiya stepping into his personal space and nodding.

"I know. I was looking forward to playing against Seidou again," Narumiya said, giving him a pointed look, as if letting him know exactly _who _he had wanted to face off against. A smirk quickly formed, causing Sawamura to look at him suspiciously. "Not that you're ready for a duel with me."

And while the thought of his boyfriend wanting to have a pitching duel with him made him feel warm inside and… _recognized_, his mind immediately latched onto the latter half of what he said.

"Hah?! I've improved a lot since the last time we played each other, you know?" He stepped closer, jabbing his boyfriend's chest with a finger.

Narumiya's smirk remained on his face, unaffected by his response. If anything, he looked amused, annoying him even further. "It didn't look that way at Koshien." He held back the urge to laugh as the younger boy's cheeks flushed red.

Sawamura wanted to hate the way that smirk made Narumiya more attractive than he already was. "That isn't true! My pitching was _great _at Koshien!"

… _For the most part_.

"Who said anything about your pitching?" Narumiya couldn't stop the laugh at his confused look. "I was talking about how you fell flat on your face." He watched, amused as Sawamura's whole _face_ turned red.

"I suppose that's one way to get your name out there. I would've done it with my pitching, though." He paused deliberately. "But you already know that _I _did do that."

Sawamura's eye twitched, hands twitching at his sides, reminding himself that it wasn't right to punch his boyfriend.

No matter how _irritating _and _cocky _he was.

He would be the more mature of the two.

Like always.

"How could I forget? You kept texting me updates." He looked away, scowling. "Bet you enjoyed the attention, _Prince of the Capital-sama_."

Narumiya grinned, looking pleased. "You were probably paying attention to any news with my name in it anyway." His grin widened as the other pitcher looked back at him and _glowered_. "It _was _nice to receive all that attention from my fans."

An impish gleam entered his eyes, causing Sawamura to give him a suspicious look. "It's no surprise that I received a lot of attention from my female fans, but I also received a lot of attention from my _male _fans."

Sawamura's hands formed fists and visibly shook, reminding himself for the second time that it wasn't right or mature if he punched the older boy.

… No matter how good it would make him feel.

He was _trying _to be the mature one here.

"Oh? Well, good for you. It's too bad you're too busy to interact with them," he spat.

Narumiya reached out and placed his hand on the other's shoulder, laughing as Sawamura immediately shrugged him off. "Someone's jealous." He barely stopped himself from snickering as the other pitcher _squawked _a protest.

He didn't need to voice out loud that Sawamura had nothing to worry about.

He liked _Sawamura_. Not any of his fans.

But he couldn't help but tease him, enjoying how easy it was to rile him up. "Speaking of that 'Prince of the Capital' title… I'm not a prince anymore. I'm the _king_."

… He didn't care about being the mature one.

Sawamura was going to _punch_ that cocky smirk off his rival's face.

Belatedly remembering at the last minute to use his nondominant hand, he raised his fist.

But Narumiya effortlessly thwarted his plan by leaning in and kissing him on the lips.

He froze, eyes widening at the contact.

It certainly wasn't his first kiss, or his first time being kissed by his rival.

But he couldn't help but be surprised, his reaction time slow due to being thrown off guard.

And while a part of him wasn't in the mood to deal with a smug Narumiya, which he knew would happen if he kissed back, a larger part of him didn't care, only registering that his boyfriend was kissing him.

He placed his hands on his shoulders and responded to the kiss.

… Or he would've if Narumiya hadn't pulled away, an impish gleam in his eyes.

The impish gleam immediately made Sawamura suspicious, wondering if it was still possible to pretend that he didn't enjoy the kiss.

To his embarrassment, he couldn't stop the surprised noise from escaping as his rival pulled him an inch closer, belatedly realizing that Narumiya's arms were around his waist now.

When did that happen?

As if he could read his mind, Narumiya snickered. "Enjoy that, did you?"

Sawamura narrowed his eyes at the smug smirk on his rival's face, wanting to hate the way his body reacted to Narumiya and his smirks. "Jerk. I hate you."

To his annoyance, Narumiya only laughed. "Not what you said this morning." His grin grew as Sawamura's cheeks flushed red.

Sawamura was beginning to think that meeting his boyfriend was a mistake.

He should've left when he had the chance.

His hands moved from his rival's shoulders to his chest, attempting to push him away. "S-Shut up! Let go!"

Narumiya shook his head, tightening his grip. "I don't want to."

Sawamura growled, about to try and punch his boyfriend again.

But dark blue eyes caught his attention, making him freeze.

He recognized those eyes.

Whenever his rival stood on the mound, he had those eyes. Those eyes could easily inflict fear into weaker pitchers. Those eyes always made goosebumps form, knowing that he was about to witness his boyfriend's pitching.

And those eyes were the same ones that challenged him to catch up to him.

It didn't matter if the sun was out or not.

Those eyes tended to glow a dark blue color, and while he could remember a few times where those eyes resembled mini storm clouds, those glowing eyes tended to demand only one thing.

His attention.

(He didn't know whether Narumiya did that knowingly or not.

But if he had to guess, he would say that Narumiya definitely did it knowingly.

That guy enjoyed competing with him and winning against him.

Not to mention, he knew that Narumiya would always feel smug at noticing that he got his attention.

It drove him crazy because he was always falling for it.)

Other pitchers had mentioned being afraid of Narumiya and wanting to stay away from him at the sight of his dark blue eyes.

But Sawamura couldn't stay away.

Nor would he want to.

Just like how those bright blue eyes demanded his attention with the sun out, those dark blue eyes drew him in like a fisherman reeling in a fish.

And while being on the receiving end of those dark blue (other times a bright blue) eyes made his mouth dry up, he wouldn't trade that attention for anything in the world.

Narumiya's smirk disappeared, furrowing his eyebrows and looking confused at the lack of response. While he enjoyed the speechless reaction he received at first, he felt confused (and a little worried although he wouldn't admit that out loud) at his boyfriend's continued lack of response.

Sawamura kept _staring_ at him for some reason.

And while he already knew he was attractive, he had to wonder if something else besides his good looks caused Sawamura's speechlessness.

… Which really didn't make sense.

Because he was _Narumiya Mei_ and Sawamura's _boyfriend_.

(Not that that seemed to matter much to Sawamura. The younger boy had no problem declaring that he wasn't anything special and wouldn't hesitate to insult him despite being younger than him.)

But whatever.

He was about to scold Sawamura for not paying attention when he was there with him, but Sawamura beat him to it.

"Narumiya's attractive!" Sawamura burst out, face red. As he watched his boyfriend's cheeks flush at the rare compliment, he belatedly registered what he said and looked away, calling himself an idiot for speaking without thinking.

Narumiya grinned, pleased at his boyfriend's compliment. His laughter made Sawamura look back at him, narrowing his eyes. "I already knew that, but I'm glad you think so."

Sawamura wanted to hit himself for speaking without thinking.

He _really_ should've left when he had the chance.

"D-Don't get cocky! I didn't mean it!" he lied, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

But he could already tell by the other's raised eyebrows and smug smirk that he didn't believe him.

_Cocky jerk_.

Narumiya leaned in close, an impish gleam in his eyes. He tilted his head and kissed his cheek, grinning as he pulled away. "You are the worst liar I've ever met."

He paused before leaning in close to his ear, ignoring Sawamura's weak protests. "And you can't take it back, _Ei-jun_."

Sawamura couldn't help but shiver at how his rival said his name, belatedly noticing the use of his given name.

He wanted to hate the way his given name sounded on his lips.

Narumiya pulled away to look into his eyes, no doubt having felt his reaction and unable to stop the smug smirk.

The worse part was that the cocky jerk knew he would react like that.

He probably would've opened his mouth to deny his reaction or make an excuse.

(Maybe he could say that Narumiya's eyes were going bad?)

But before he could, Narumiya's eyes darkened, one hand reaching up to slide around the back of his neck and pulling him into a kiss.

He gasped, immediately pressing forward into Narumiya's arms as warmth grew inside his chest.

Their kisses were always intense, and a part of Sawamura felt worried that he enjoyed these kisses a little too much.

His boyfriend's presence and proximity made his skin heat up, barely registering the temperature of the ice pack on his left shoulder.

A few moments later, Narumiya pulled away from the kiss, smirking his normal smirk.

No doubt, he was about to say something cocky that would anger him.

So instead of giving him the chance, Sawamura grinned devilishly, a gleam in his eyes.

It immediately had the intended effect, Narumiya's eyebrows furrowing at the rare sight.

(Narumiya would never admit out loud how that devilish grin and gleam in his eyes suited him a little too well.

And that he hung out with a certain cunning catcher too much. To the point that he was starting to influence his boyfriend.)

But before he could speak, Sawamura took the initiative and kissed him.

Sawamura grinned wider as his rival responded to the kiss, tempted to yell his signature cheers.

He probably would've deepened the kiss, but he belatedly registered where they were.

And what occasion it was.

Despite remembering, it was still a long moment before he pulled away with a sigh, leaning back to look his rival in the eyes.

Narumiya frowned as he pulled away, his frown deepening at the sigh.

_That _was not the reaction Sawamura should have after kissing him.

(And managing to catch him off guard.

… Not that he would ever admit that to him.)

"You should go," Sawamura murmured, unable to stop the disappointed look from appearing. If it were any other occasion, he would've laughed at Narumiya's confused look. "Inashiro's match? You guys are playing against Teitou?" he reminded.

Narumiya hummed, leaning in to press a kiss on his chin. He snickered as Sawamura spluttered, not making any sense. "I can make them wait for however long I want. I'm the _ace_," he said, puffing his chest out and making Sawamura roll his eyes.

"But you're probably right. Are you going to watch?" He paused before adding something he knew would affect his decision. "I'm pitching, you know?"

Sawamura shook his head, almost snorting.

As if the thought of Narumiya pitching had _any _effect on his decision.

(It did. It really did.

He enjoyed it whenever he had the opportunity to watch him pitch.

And not only that, but he would get to watch him pitch live, sitting in the stands with the rest of Seidou.

It always felt exciting and, if he were honest, awe-inspiring whenever he watched him live.

Plus, it had been a while since he got to watch his boyfriend pitch live.

He was really looking forward to it.)

Not wanting to feed Narumiya's ego, he shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

He had the _perfect_ excuse.

"I think I'll go back to Seidou and practice my batting."

Narumiya laughed, giving him an unimpressed look. "While I know you need all the batting practice you can get," he said, smirking as Sawamura narrowed his eyes. "I already told you that you are the worst liar I've ever met, _Ei-jun_."

Sawamura couldn't suppress a shiver, hating how _good _his given name sounded coming off the other pitcher's lips.

His cheeks flushed as Narumiya snickered.

"S-Stop saying my name like that," he protested, although both knew it was a weak one.

Narumiya leaned in close, an impish gleam in his eyes. "Why? I know you love it."

Sawamura huffed, a scowl on his face as he tried to break free to little avail.

He wasn't stupid.

He knew what Narumiya was trying to do.

"Quit stalling! Hurry up and go!"

But his rival ignored him and placed a featherlight kiss on the top of his nose, making him huff once more. "You're so mean. You should speak to me with more respect."

Sawamura growled, trying to break free once more.

He was about to kick him in the shin and tell him where he could shove his respect.

But Narumiya finally let go of his waist, instead placing his hands on his shoulders. "You're going to watch me pitch, right?"

"I already told you! I'm going back—"

"_Eijun_."

Sawamura glowered, tempted to yell at him.

Using his given name like that was a low blow.

"… Fine. I'm watching it with the rest of Seidou."

Narumiya grinned, blue eyes sparkling. One of his hands reached up to pat him on the head. "Good boy."

He laughed as Sawamura shoved his hand off, growling at him.

"I'm not a dog, damn it!"

Before he could reply, Sawamura jabbed his chest with a finger. "You better not lose."

Narumiya scoffed. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the best southpaw of the Kanto region. I don't lose."

Sawamura wisely chose not to bring up how Inashiro failed to win Koshien last summer.

Or their most recent loss against Ugumori in the fall tournament.

"You will during the summer tournament."

Narumiya blinked at the determined look on his face. His lips quickly formed a condescending smirk, finally removing his hands from his shoulders. "Oh? And who will defeat us? _Seidou_?"

"That's right! This time, Seidou will win. And I'll be the one who leads us to victory. As Seidou's _ace_."

Narumiya laughed, waving one of his hands flippantly. "You always say that. How about this time you actually _prove it_?"

Sawamura growled, annoyed with how Narumiya wasn't taking this seriously. "Fine! I will! When I become the ace, I'll prove you wrong. And beat you in the summer tournament."

His boyfriend scoffed. "I'd like to see you try, brat." He paused. "_If _you become the ace, that is."

Sawamura's hands formed fists and visibly shook, reminding himself (yet again) that it wasn't right to punch him.

… Even if he was being such a disrespectful jerk.

"I will become the ace! I've been working hard, and I intend to work harder to make it happen."

Narumiya shook his head, his smirk returning to his face. "Don't work too hard, or you'll collapse. Again." He felt amused as Sawamura's eyes widened, letting out a surprised noise.

"That only happened once!" he burst out. Registering belatedly what he said, he coughed, trying to look innocent. "I-I mean… That never happened!"

Narumiya raised his eyebrows, looking unimpressed.

He huffed, almost pouting. "How did you find out?"

For a few moments, Narumiya debated not telling him. It would be easier and a lot more fun for him.

Finally, he gave in, holding up one of his hands to mimic a cell phone.

When Sawamura's baffled look remained on his face, he shook his head. "Seidou has a spy. A very sneaky spy who reports to me about you."

Sawamura furrowed his eyebrows.

That didn't sound like any of his teammates.

Who would have the audacity to spy on him and report to _Narumiya _of all people?

It had to be someone with ties to him.

… _Hang on_. _Ties_?

His eyes widened, remembering that there _was _someone who had ties to him at Seidou.

Narumiya snickered as he watched him think about it, amused he was taking this long to figure it out.

It was obvious once someone thought about it.

… But then again, his boyfriend _was _an idiot.

"That… That sneaky jerk… _I could kill Miyuki Kazuya_!" Sawamura seethed, tempted to punch Miyuki instead of his boyfriend.

… Or he could punch them both?

Narumiya nodded, laughing at his reaction. "Go ahead. Tell him I said hello."

Yeah. Punching them both sounded like a great idea.

(And while he knew Miyuki only did it because he was concerned about him, he really didn't need to tell _Narumiya _of all people. Sawamura didn't tell him because he didn't want to worry him.)

"Shut up. I don't need you to worry about me. Concentrate on your pitching. Teitou is a tough opponent."

Narumiya scoffed. "That should be my line. Especially if you want to become the ace." He paused. "And maybe Seidou struggled, but we're Inashiro. We'll easily win."

Sawamura doubted that, but for once, he didn't retort.

He couldn't help but let out a sigh, knowing that he had kept his boyfriend for too long.

Before Narumiya could speak, his hands pushed gently at his chest. "You should go. Your team is waiting for their ace."

And it seemed as those were the magic words as Narumiya's eyes sparkled, cheeks flushing and puffing his chest out. "I'll make sure to put on a good show." He winked cheekily. "Just for you."

Sawamura's cheeks flushed pink, this time shoving him. "I told you to stop saying stuff like that! Hurry up and go!"

Narumiya only laughed, leaning in to ruffle his hair and give him one last kiss on the cheek.

And to Sawamura's irritation, he turned around and started walking away.

He waited for several moments before calling out to him.

"Mei, wait!"

Narumiya stopped walking and turned around, eyebrows furrowing. A grin quickly formed as he registered that his boyfriend had used his given name.

But before he could tease him, Sawamura quickly crossed the distance that separated them, grabbed him by the front of his uniform and kissed him on the lips.

Sawamura grinned as his rival responded eagerly.

That grin disappeared the next moment as Narumiya teased his mouth open, wordlessly challenging him.

And when it came to a fight or any type of challenge with Narumiya, he wasn't going to roll over and just _let _him win.

Refusing to lose, he kissed him with as much passion as Narumiya was giving him.

Sawamura's body trembled as Narumiya's tongue darted out and licked his lower lip, feeling grateful he was holding onto his uniform as he knew his knees would go weak at the motion.

Feeling him tremble (and no doubt reading his mind), Narumiya smirked into the kiss, making him frown.

And Sawamura would've pulled away and protested, but Narumiya gently nibbling his lower lip made him have second thoughts.

Sawamura tilted his head, closing his eyes and pressing closer to his rival's body.

Narumiya hummed, approving the action and darted his tongue out once more. He licked Sawamura's lower lip, silently asking permission. Sawamura slowly parted his lips, allowing Narumiya's tongue inside his mouth.

Sawamura moaned as Narumiya's tongue moved inside his mouth, touching different parts of his mouth. It was a little ticklish, but at the same time, it felt like something was burning inside him with every touch. Narumiya playfully touched his tongue with his own, teasing him and coaxing him to respond.

Sawamura responded eagerly, trying to match Narumiya's passionate and brisk pace.

Narumiya's exploration of his mouth was making him breathless. It was unfair how _good _Narumiya's kisses made him feel, and it was unfair how that cocky jerk mercilessly used that to his advantage.

But as much as he wanted to continue kissing Narumiya, his body protested at the lack of air, making him lightheaded and forcing him to pull away reluctantly.

Their breathing was erratic, and both boy's cheeks were pink.

Brown dazed eyes opened, looking at Narumiya. He struggled to catch his breath, still feeling lightheaded and weak in the knees. "_Mei_…"

To his annoyance, Narumiya only smirked a smug smirk.

Determined to regain some of his usual composure, Sawamura quickly let go, glaring at him.

His legs were still a little shaky, but thankfully, they were strong enough to keep him up.

If his knees had given out, there was no telling how smug his boyfriend would get. And he really didn't want to boost his boyfriend's ego more than he already did.

He pointed at him. "D-Don't misunderstand! I was just wishing you luck!"

Narumiya snickered, shaking his head. "I don't need luck to win." His smirk remained on his face as Sawamura glowered at him. "I'll thank you for the kiss, though." He winked cheekily. "Feel free to do that again sometime soon."

"I don't want to! Now go!"

Narumiya laughed, tempted to point out that he knew it was a lie.

But for once, though, Sawamura had a point.

He should probably get back to his team.

He leaned in to ruffle Sawamura's hair, grinning as his boyfriend shoved his hand away.

Sawamura watched as Narumiya turned around and walked away, unable to stop himself from admiring the number one on the back of his jersey.

He unconsciously reached out with his left hand.

If Seidou had won their semifinal match, they would've played against Inashiro in the finals.

And while Sawamura didn't know who the coach would've picked as the starting pitcher, he found himself wishing he could pitch against Inashiro. And Narumiya.

He stared at his pitching hand closely.

Could he reach Narumiya as he was right now?

Could he give Inashiro and Narumiya a tough time with his current pitches?

His left hand formed a fist, as if he was trying to grab the number one on the other pitcher's back.

He wanted to know.

He wanted to fight it out with him again.

Deep down, though, he knew.

To become the ace, he had to get stronger.

He couldn't stay as he was right now.

Not if he wanted Miyuki to acknowledge him.

And not if he wanted to fight on the same level as Narumiya.

The thought of fighting it out with him during the summer tournament as the ace of their respective schools…

It gave him goosebumps, his hands twitching with uncontrolled excitement.

Narumiya stopped in front of the door leading to the field and turned around.

Sawamura belatedly registered what he was doing.

His face turned dark red at Narumiya's raised eyebrows, immediately jerking his arm back to his side.

Narumiya tried not to laugh.

He really did.

But he couldn't stop it from escaping at the other pitcher's face. Sawamura's ears were red too, making him think of when his boyfriend fell flat on his face during Koshien.

He snickered, looking way too amused at Sawamura's slipup. "What are you doing?"

Sawamura felt like one of his favorite shoujo heroines who had embarrassed herself in front of her crush.

The worst part was that he couldn't think of anything good to say.

"A-Ah. I was just seeing if my hand could reach you."

… And _of course_, he chose to go with the truth.

Why now of all times?

Narumiya burst into laughter, shaking his head at Sawamura's stupidity. "You idiot. Of course your hand can't reach if you're that far away."

Sawamura wasn't sure how to feel, knowing that his boyfriend took his words literally.

But knowing that he was holding him up, he coughed, turning around. "S-Shut up! I know that. I'm leaving."

He started walking over to the exit that led back inside the stadium.

What was he thinking?

Of course Narumiya would take his words literally.

He shook his head, a humorless smile on his face.

His boyfriend wasn't the 'comforting' type of person anyway.

"Eijun."

He paused by the exit, unable to stop himself from turning around at the sound of his given name.

Narumiya stared at him, an unreadable expression on his face.

Sawamura found his breath catching, mouth drying up at his dark blue eyes.

Silence enfolded them, Sawamura belatedly registering the sounds of Inashiro players yelling encouragements and getting ready just outside the room.

Just as he was about to remind Inashiro's ace that he had to go, Narumiya shook his head, a serious expression making its way onto his face.

"We still have a few months until the summer tournament starts."

Sawamura furrowed his eyebrows, confused at the seemingly random comment.

"… Yeah. Why are you talking about that all of a sudden?"

Narumiya ignored him. "Both of our teams will have enough time to get stronger."

Was Sawamura missing something?

He didn't understand what the other pitcher was trying to say.

"That's how it works. I'll get stronger and become the ace!"

"I don't lose. And I don't plan on losing during the summer tournament," Narumiya said, ignoring him again much to Sawamura's annoyance.

"A lot can happen before the summer tournament starts. Such as injuries." His lips formed a condescending smirk. "But Seidou would know all about that, wouldn't they?"

Sawamura hissed like a cat, tempted to walk over and punch that smirk off his rival's face.

That was _really _disrespectful to his senpai who already graduated.

And Narumiya had the nerve to say that _he _was the disrespectful one.

"_Are you picking a fight with me, bastard_?" he roared.

Narumiya turned around, seemingly done with the conversation.

… Which infuriated him, considering what he just said.

"Oi, Narumiya Mei! Wait!"

He wasn't allowed to leave after disrespecting his senpai like that.

Narumiya placed his hand on the doorknob, but instead of turning it, he turned his head back to look at him.

He looked unfazed by Sawamura's attempt at imitating an angry kitten. "I suppose another thing that could happen is switching jersey numbers." His smirk returned to his face. "Although I'm sure Furuya will be the ace again."

Sawamura's mind immediately latched onto the latter half of what he said, not even registering the former half.

He was _really _starting to regret not punching him earlier.

"Hah?! Why don't you say that again, you jerk? I will become the ace!"

But Narumiya only shook his head, looking amused. "I'll look for you in the stands, _Ei-jun_," he said, smirking as he saw the noticeable shiver. "Text me once you get back to Seidou."

"Who would?! I don't want to see your face ever again!"

Narumiya snickered, and after tossing him a knowing look, he turned the doorknob and left him alone.

Sawamura seethed, his hands trembling by his sides.

He could still feel the hot anger coursing through his veins.

Who did he think he was?

After disrespecting not only him, but also his senpai, he _had_ to become the ace.

It would be a nice way to shut that cocky disrespectful jerk up.

Letting out a yell, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

He walked down the hallway, a dark look on his face.

… Only to register his missing bag.

Face burning with embarrassment and grateful no one loitered in the hallway to witness his mistake, he turned around, hurriedly retracing his steps and grabbing his bag.

He paused by the exit, turning to look at where his so-called boyfriend stood and disrespected his senpai and his team.

And _him _for that matter.

Narrowing his eyes, he turned around and exited the room, tightening his grip on his bag's strap.

He _really _should've punched him earlier.

ZZZ

Sawamura huffed as he sat in the stands, watching Inashiro and Teitou play.

Thankfully, he didn't miss any of the game.

To his surprise, his teammates didn't come looking for him, no doubt knowing he could take care of himself.

Miyuki had the nerve to send him a knowing look, though.

And while he would normally yell at him and cause a scene, he wasn't in the mood.

So after shooting him a glower, he proceeded to ignore him.

(He hadn't forgotten that Miyuki told Narumiya about him collapsing.

And while a part of him wanted to punch Miyuki, he decided against it.

But he would hold a grudge until Miyuki apologized to him.)

Instead of sitting with his teammates, he sat away from them, watching the game closely.

It helped that he had a better view of the game from where he sat.

And he didn't hesitate to say so when Kuramochi Youichi invited him to sit with the rest of Seidou.

He scowled, almost growling as Inashiro's ace struck out three batters flawlessly then proceeded to look up at the stands.

No doubt, he was looking for him.

Well, he refused to give his boyfriend that satisfaction.

He still felt the anger from earlier and was determined to ignore him.

(Not that Narumiya could see him from where he was.)

As the game continued, though, the part of him not clouded by anger slowly began taking over.

He would never admit it to his boyfriend, but it felt great watching him pitch live.

It wasn't the same when he watched him pitch on the television.

A part of him hated to admit it even to himself, but…

His boyfriend was so _cool_.

He wanted to become an amazing ace.

Like him.

He would never be as cocky as him, though.

The corner of his lips curled up as he watched Teitou score a home run off Narumiya.

_Serves him right_.

After that, Narumiya didn't look up at the stands, no doubt concentrating on his pitching and fully committed to shutting Teitou down.

The game quickly reached the eighth inning.

Where Teitou's ace stood in the way of Inashiro winning.

His eyes widened as he watched Narumiya throw his whole repertoire to Teitou's ace, shutting him down with all his might.

A frown formed on his lips, but much to his irritation, his lips twitched, threatening to burst into a smile.

_That little showoff_.

Narumiya looked up at the stands, dark blue eyes looking up at the Seidou players.

This time, Sawamura couldn't stop the smile.

He still refused to call out and give him that satisfaction, though.

Watching his boyfriend pitch had put him in a better mood.

And he couldn't help but point out how _cool _he was to Haruichi.

But he didn't mention him by name.

He just said that an _ace _had to be cool.

As he sat on the bus heading back to Seidou, he reflected on his day.

While he still felt upset about losing, he refused to dwell on it.

He would use that frustration to get stronger.

Then he thought about Inashiro's ace.

For a few moments, he debated not texting him.

It would serve him right after making him angry like that.

… And yet, he found himself reaching for his phone and sending off a quick text once he returned to Seidou grounds.

He was about to review his pitching from that day's game, determined to gain something from it.

Only to remember his boyfriend's odd behavior right before he left.

He mentioned the summer tournament, and he disrespected his senpai, Seidou, and him.

But he also mentioned something about the ace number.

Sawamura hadn't paid much attention to the former half of what Narumiya said, only paying attention to the part that angered him.

But now that he thought about it, what did Narumiya say?

A frown formed on his face as he tried to remember.

If he remembered correctly, Narumiya said something about the jersey numbers changing?

His eyes widened, the realization punching him in the gut and taking his breath away.

Narumiya couldn't have meant what he thought, right?

There was no way.

Whenever he brought up becoming the ace before, Narumiya never took him seriously.

He never mentioned _anything _about believing in him and never encouraged him.

But it had to be what he thought because he didn't know what else it could mean.

Narumiya actually _believed _that he could become the ace.

He believed that he could beat Furuya.

He reached out with his left hand, imagining Narumiya's back with the visible number one in front of him.

But unlike all the other times where Narumiya would be far away, he could easily spot that familiar back.

Sawamura imagined himself running over and catching up to him, placing his left hand on the other pitcher's back.

Narumiya would feel the hand (or maybe even sense his presence) and turn around.

What kind of expression would Narumiya show him?

His hand formed a fist, imagining himself grabbing Narumiya's jersey.

He would do it.

He would become Seidou's ace.

He would become Seidou's ace, prove that he wasn't all talk, and…

And fight it out against him during the summer tournament.

The thought of it made his hands shake in uncontrollable excitement.

Sawamura grinned, laughing loudly.

"Just you wait, Narumiya Mei. I will catch up to you."

An evil grin formed on his face.

Oh, he was looking forward to the summer tournament now.

He would need to get stronger, of course, and actually become the ace.

But he couldn't wait to dethrone the king.

**ZZZZZZZZZZZZ**

**Author Notes: **I hope y'all enjoyed this story.

Please let me know what you thought.

I couldn't fit it in the story itself, but Sawamura still met Amahisa in the hallway with Amahisa bugging him about his pitches. And they still exchanged LINE contact information.


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